JCJC ECET instructor, Judy Prine receives national certification

ELLISVILLE – Jones County Junior College Early Childhood Education Technology instructor, Judy Prine recently received her National Director Credential certification. Prine said she applied for a grant through Mississippi State University which offered child care directors the opportunity to enroll in the program.

Prine, also serves as the Director of the ECET Laboratory School, which offers preschool for children three through five years of age, while also offering hands on training for JCJC students. She received her certification through Aim4Excellence™, a project of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. The Center is dedicated to enhancing the management skills, professional orientation and leadership capacity of early childhood administrators. The activities of the Center encompass four areas: training, program evaluation, research and public awareness. Prine said the training she received to earn this national certification will benefit the college and the child care program.

“I wanted a better understanding of the logistics of a child care center,” said Prine. “I have worked for programs that are sponsored by universities or community colleges where the financial management and major expenditures are maintained by the college. These classes gave me the information that childcare directors face in the real world, including making a budget. Childcare directors are in a battle every day to deal with finances. It made me realize I am truly blessed to be at Jones.”

Prine said that her new certification raises the bar for excellence in child care at Jones. She explained that she plans to implement at Jones what she learned in her classes. Last week, she had the children of the JCJC Lab School undergo speech and hearing screenings, which is something she learned in the class.

Candace Weaver, Dean of Business, Technology and Health Services, said Prine's national credentials are a boon to the Jones childcare program.

“National credentialing verifies to our business and industry partners that our programs and instructors are performing at a high level and that those same skills and credentials are infused into our programs,” Weaver said.

Prine has a B.S and M.S. from Louisiana Tech University in Early Childhood Education and three years of graduate study at Oklahoma State University in Family Relations and Child Development.

In addition to her six years at JCJC, she has taught at Northwestern State University, University of Southern Mississippi, Pearl River Community College and Presbyterian Christian School.

She is a credentialed director for the Mississippi Governor’s office of Children and Youth and president elect of the Mississippi Early Childhood Association for 2013-2014. She has been a Southern Early Childhood Association member for 27 years and a Mississippi Early Childhood Association member for 24 years.

Prine is married to Col. Mark Prine, and they have two children: Caleb Prine, a freshman at JCJC, and Mary Grace, an 8th grader at Presbyterian Christian School.

For more information about the JCJC ECET program call Prine or Leah Hinton at 601-477-4119 or email her at judy.prine@jcjc.edu or leah.hinton@jcjc.edu.